Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1887-03-18
SIR FR-fNCIS DRdKE.
Taking Possession Of California for the
0netR Of England.

AohtfD OSSESStOh OJ GdttIOfNH fOF tfeC
0"nn Of England.
Francis Drake, later Sir Francis
Drake entered the Pacific in 1878,
doubling CAPE Horn IN search of Span
ish galleoas and the imaginary strait
of Anian. The cosmogsaphers of that
time believed that passage between the
Pacific and Atlantic existed in the far
north, which, once found, would have
served the SAME purpose that the Pan
anna canal is expected to DO now. In
June 1879 the explorer was in the
Northern Pacific where he became dis
couraSed on account of the extreme
cold and resolved to abandon further
search for the strait He now con-
ciuded to return home by way of the
Cape of Good Hope, thus maxi
ing the first voyage round the world.
After anchoring in /, bad bay, perhaps
in latitude 43, in southern Oregon, he
ran down the coast to find suitable
harbor for reitting and preparing the
Golden Hind for the homeward pas
sage. What makes Brakes voyage
apart from its general interest to all
the world, of especial interest to our
coast, is that the looked for harbor
was found in California.
On the 18th of June, Drake found
convenient aud fit harbor where he
beached his vessel and remained until
July 23ld. In the mean time he took
possession of the country in the Mans
of the Queen of England. The natives
cheerfully agreeing and named it New
Albion from the similarity of aspect
between the banks and cliffs of that
part of the coast and those of England.
There is no part of earth here to be
taken up, where there is not some like
lihood of gold or silver repors the ex-
plorers. Probably they saw particles
of fine gold glittering III the sun in
the patches of black sand on. the beach.
To establish possessory rights it
seems Drake set up amonument'
consisting Of a strong post, nailed to
which was plate of brass, engraved
with the name of the queen, the date
of arrival Of the expedition and the
statement of the free giving up Of
the province and kingdom. both BY
the king and people into her maiesty's
hand. He also affixed the queens
"picture and arm to thasslste 81 the.
simple process Of cutting i hoIc ii s o
and filing it with 9 piece Of sixpence
of English money. At the foot Of
the document was signed brakes
name England has never insisted
upon her rights secured by the act
Of Sir Francis Drake and the Lrazer
document has long since disappeared.
How much the natives understood OF
its puiport is shown by the fact that
during the presence of The explorers
they worshipped it as god. On July
23rd, Drake sailed away and found
next day some islands with many seals
and birds. Then the explorers saw
no more land until they had crossed
the Pacific. The actual locality of
brakes anchorage has remained a
matter of doubt to the present day.
OF the expedition in question three
narratives exist, the famous voyage"
the 'world encompassed" and the esdis-
course. y The latitude of the harbor is
stately bent aside from the fact, that
determining ATTITUDES was the weakest
point of the old nayigators, the nara
tives themselves disagree.
Three bays have been found to
amount to some extent the description
of the old chronicles, Bodega, brakes
and San Francisco. That the p.epon-
derance of opinion is in favor of the
{second is sufficiently indicated by its
name. This bay is almost exactly in
latitude SO, given by the "World en-
compassed." :" Bodega agrees with the
$3.50 of the famous VOYAGE while
San Francisco more than either cor
responds with the convenient and fit
harbor" Herbert Howe Bancroft's
opinion. as laid down in his History
of lfo;nia, is, that the great free.
booter did not enter the bay of San
Francisco and that brakes Bay is the
most probable place of his anchorage
For this version speaks also, that the
explorers leaving the coast on south
westerly course, found some islands
the next day which in this case would
be the Farallones What may have
given rise to the belief that Drake en-
tered the harbor Of San Francisco, is a
circumstance very little known, namely
that long before this bay was discov
cred, the Spaniards had applied the
name of San Francisco to the bay un-
der Point Reyes, which is the same as
brakes bay. Thus while the Span.
iards were right in maintaining that
Drake anchored in San Francisco Bay
meaning the only bay which then
bore that name-the modern writer's